Things they have to get used to
by Nemisses
Summary: Things Ziva does after returning to NCIS and after the torture. One shot.


Things that Ziva does after she returns to NCIS. I don't go into detail on how, why or when she got back . You have to read my story called Healing to know where she came from.

**Things they have to get used to**

First they didn't notice a lot. Yes, she looked bruised and battered. The team never knew what would lie beneath the visible scars of her torture, but every now and then they realized one of them was scarred for life. Every now and then they would see and hear the signs from that experience.

Whenever she would question someone in one of the interrogation rooms she never closes the door. The first time it happened McGee closed the door on her thinking she forgot to close it, she panicked.

She walked out of the door grabbed McGee and threatened to kill him if he would do something like that ever again. Gibbs solved the problem with a security guard at the door whenever she did a interview.

Gibbs slapped her on the head once and she made it very clear that if he tried that again she would hit back. No one was going to hit her on the head ever again.

When they were in a enclosed environment she felt restless. If it would take to long she would start humming to herself, not very loud but loud enough for her team members to hear and notice. The humming came with a ever so slight seen slow rocking back and forth. It had freaked McGee out in the beginning but after a while he didn't seem to notice anymore, it just was something she did.

Eating in a restaurant was a short en very fast experience. She ate like she would never be served again. She ate everything on her plate, including the green stuff the cooks use to enhance the plate.

She was so afraid they would take the food from her again. It became less obvious with time but she was always the one who finished clearing her plate first.

Sometimes she was caught stretching her fingers in order to keep them flexible. She would open and close both her hands several times in order for the pain to go away at specially when it became cold in Washington. Tony bought her gloves that would have done well on Antarctica.

She would never sit with her back towards the door. They didn't know if that came from her training or the torture but after she got back it was even more obvious. The team always knew never to take the chair opposite the door. Palmer did that once and she would just stand there staring at him until he finally realized she wasn't going to back down until he had given his seat to her. She smiled ever so gently when he did so.

Every now and then it was dangerous to be around her when she was in a fighting mode. Her fights were short and violent, she didn't kill her opponent unless it was absolutely necessary but her victims never really came out of it unharmed. Gibbs had to stop her once when she was strangling a guy who had beaten a little girl. Gibbs had to use force in order to stop her from killing the guy and then she turned on him. Her gun was in his face when she realized her mistake and backed off. She mumbled an apology and walked away. It was never mentioned again.

In the beginning she was caught wearing slippers in the bullpen. She was caught wearing them when Gibbs had once again barked his marching orders and Ziva wasn't fast enough to catch the elevator going down. She had to put on her shoes. When she did came into the garage Gibbs looked at her with his eyebrows raised.

"Always be prepared David. I thought you would have known by now"

"Won't happen again" She briskly said. The slippers were tossed into a bin at the crime scene.

Later that day Ducky noticed her somewhat forced walking. He decided to dropped by her desk to give her some new slippers. Ziva wasn't at her desk at the time so Ducky turned to Gibbs. He waved the slippers in Gibbs' face.

"Make her wear them Jethro, her feet will be grateful. She is practically limping today, what did she do today"

"Nothing..what do you mean"

"they smashed her feet Jethro. Her feet are healed but not completely. She still has stress fractures in them." From that day on Gibbs ordered her to wear those slippers every time she was in the bullpen and when he barked that order again. _Grab your gear _all three men were caught waiting patiently for Ziva to put on her boots.

In time those 'little' things faded away but every now and then they would reappear. They all knew she was scarred for life but in time her laughter could be heard again. The jokes with Tony would made an reappearance. McGee was more than happy to be a target if it had the desired effect of hearing Ziva laugh. McGee loved to hear her laugh. The team learned with time that these things were something that they have to get used to.

The End.

A/N; I think Ziva will have post traumatic stress syndrome just like that guy in Corporal Punishment, and here is my little take on it. R&R


End file.
